Veteran Service Office helped veterans/survivors claim over $1 million in retroactive payments
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Veteran Service Office has helped Dunn County veterans and their families claim more than $1 million in retroactive disability pension payments in 2023.
Greg Quinn, veteran service officer, presented his annual report to the Dunn County Board at the April 16 meeting.
Veterans in Dunn County were able to get more than $1 million retroactive disability pension payments, and going forward, that amount is like to be between $800,000 and a $1 million each year, he said.
The total amount for 2023 was $1,008,618.
All together, Dunn County veterans received $29.76 million in federal veterans benefits, which compares to $25.03 million received in 2022, according to Quinn’s report.
The total number of veteran records managed by the Dunn County Veteran Service Office in 2023 was 10,391, compared to 9,976 in 2022.
In 2023, there were 47 burial benefits processed, compared to 67 in 2022.
The PACT Act, which now recognizes and provides benefits for toxic exposure, is one of the changes responsible for additional veteran benefits, Quinn said.
“We have seen numerous veterans and surviving spouses receive benefits they went without for many years. The PACT Act has created the access to benefits many of our local veterans and families have needed,” he said.
Another change is that local health care providers are now able to provide medical care for veterans with a community care program so that veterans do not have to travel to Minneapolis, Quinn said.
Unfortunately, the closures of the two HSHS hospitals and the Prevea Clinics is going to have a negative impact on the community care program for veterans, he said.
Some veterans are reluctant to apply for benefits, so anyone who has a father or grandfather or another family member who served in the military should really find out what benefits that they qualify for, said Gary Stene, county board supervisor from Colfax and a member of the Health and Human Services Board.
“Greg does a great job,” he said.
Impacts
Quinn included 16 “impact statements” in his annual report.
Here are some of the impacts the Dunn County Veteran Service Office had in 2023:
• Dunn County VSO met with a veteran who disclosed during the meeting that he wrote a suicide note that morning. He contacted his Employee Assistant Program earlier due to the trust he had with them. He expressed being in a much better spot after the discussion with EAP and will continue with them. CVSO contacted the Dunn County Behavioral Health access worker who met with the veteran to ensure the suicidal ideation is managed, and that he had a good safety plan. It was a very good collaboration with Dunn County Behavioral Health, and it created additional trust with our organization.
• In early 2021, the benefit specialist began working with a female veteran, who had recently moved to the area, with a pending hearing with the Board of Veterans Appeals Veteran Law Judge. The veteran has a complex history of sexual trauma, mental health symptoms, and physical conditions. The VA initially denied all physical conditions, saying there was no evidence the conditions were caused by the military. Through many hours of research, reviewing reports and medical records, a theory of somatic pain syndrome was presented to the Veterans Law Judge. The theory maintained that the trauma experienced in service caused the somatic pain syndrome. The BVA agreed and granted the appeal. The veteran is now 70 percent service-connected disabled and received a retroactive payment of $57,813.
• A surviving spouse received $121,945.97 in retroactive funds dating back to 2015 and a continued monthly payment of $1562.74. This claim is a PACT Act approval due to our office pursuing benefits in 2015 for the surviving spouse because medical literature supported hypertension being caused by Agent Orange exposure. If we had pursued this in 2015, the effective date would have been August 2022 with very little retroactive payment. She will now be in receipt of health insurance, which will act as her supplement to Medicare Part B, and she will receive the Wisconsin property tax credit.
• A veteran injured his back in the military and suffered a head injury during the accident. He suffered for many years with insomnia, vertigo, and limited mobility due to the injury. He underwent fusion back surgery to ease the pain and improve his quality of life. The surgery was not successful, and the veteran was unable to return to his employment. The veteran used his savings to bridge the gap without employment over the three years, and thankfully, the VA agreed that he was unable to work, and awarded 100 percent disability. The award came at a great time for him to be able to pay his property taxes and avoid delinquency.
• In 2014, this office started working with a young veteran who was recently discharged and dealing with substance-abuse and mental health issues. Over the course of the next few years, the veteran continue to struggle with homelessness, multiple suicide attempts, and no income. This veteran eventually embraced AA and started working the 12-step program. The veteran obtained full-time employment and started meeting with the veterans specialist almost daily at lunch for a safe place to go, while on break from work, and to maintain sobriety. The daily lunch meetings evolved into this veteran being a volunteer for the office and then a work-study student. By 2020, the veteran was two years sober and getting married. The veteran, spouse and three children have purchased a home in Dunn County, and the veteran continues to be sober, healthy, and employed full-time.
• Two veterans working with the veterans specialist were awarded 100 percent permanent and total disability in the month of May. One veteran was from the Gulf War, and because of the PACT Act (toxic exposure) legislation, his cancer has been considered because of the toxic exposure. He is now receiving free healthcare treatment from the VA as well as disability compensation. The second veteran is over 80 years of age and had a strong distrust of the VA system. The veteran was reluctant to pursue benefits, but with encouragement and education of the process, he agreed. The result was a pleasantly surprised veteran who was awarded 100 percent disability due to his active duty service. He is now eligible to receive cost free healthcare benefits for his spouse and property tax reimbursement.
• The Dunn County VSO, assisted a veteran with a congestive heart failure (CHF) claim that was previously denied. After review of the full medical record, it was determined to pursue hypertension secondary to his sleep apnea. Upon the approval of the hypertension, secondary to sleep apnea, the CHF was quickly approved and the veteran has been determined to be 100 percent disabled by the VA and is now pursuing Social Security disability. He has been unemployed for a few years due to the medical issues and at the time was in jeopardy of utility disconnect. The retroactive payment of benefits in the amount of $43,986.52 and ongoing monthly payment in the amount of $4,256.06 create a well-needed safety net for this family.
• The veteran specialist recently had the honor of completing a benefit overview for a Vietnam veteran. The veteran earned a combat action ribbon while in service and served at the time same time as his twin brother. The veteran’s brother ended up being killed in action in Vietnam. When the benefit overview was completed, the benefit specialist presented the veteran with two Vietnam 50th Anniversary lapel pins, one for the veteran, and one for his brother, and a pin honoring his family’s sacrifice during the Vietnam war. The family is considered a Gold Star family due to the loss in combat.
• The veteran specialist began working with a veteran in 2016 who is struggling with alcohol abuse, had limited income, and was going through a divorce. At their initial meeting, the veteran completed a claim for disability benefits, and was assisted with applying for Food Share and Badgercare benefits. In early 2017, the veteran was awarded a 30 percent disability rating, but was still struggling and did not have stable housing. At that time, ongoing education was discussed as well as the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program. The veteran eventually applied for the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program and began school at UW-Eau Claire as an education major. In May of 2023, the veteran graduated from college with a bachelors degree and began working as a middle school teacher for a local school district.
• In 2015, the veterans specialist began working with the surviving spouse of a Vietnam veteran who passed away from kidney cancer that year. While kidney cancer is not a recognized, presumptive condition, the veteran had additional medical problems that could have been linked to toxic exposure, and the spouse was encouraged to apply for benefits. Unfortunately, the benefits were denied. In 2022 the veteran specialist reached out to the spouse and explained the PACT Act changes, and that with the changes, there was a chance benefits would be awarded. The veterans specialist worked with the spouse to collect the veteran’s past medical records and submitted the records along with the request to reopen the claim. After 11 months of waiting, the VA made a decision awarding the spouse’s claim and awarding survivors benefits. Payments were made retroactively to the initial claim in 2015, resulting in a retroactive payment of $127,260.29. She now has the validation of her spouse’s sacrifice and financial and healthcare security with these new benefits.
